The Excellent Exemplar - Muhammad — Page 65
THE EXCELLENT EXEMPLAR — MUHAMMAD 65 the Prophet to make their submission. During their talk with the Prophet, Hindah, veiled, intervened several times with pert remarks. The Prophet, thinking the voice was familiar, inquired: “Is that Hindah?” Hindah replied: “Yes, but Messenger of Allah, yo u cannot proceed against me now for I am a professing Muslim. ” The Prophet smiled and said: “Of course, you are free. ” Another Meccan of the same type was Habbar, who had cut the girth of the camel which carried the Prophet’s daughter Zainab as she was about to proceed to Medina during the Emigration. Habbar’s action caused Zainab to fall from the camel. She suffered a mis carriage, which later resulted in her death. Habbar also appeared before the Prophet, and professing sorrow for his misconduct begged forgiveness, intimating that he had accepted Islam. In his case also the Prophet said: “You may go free. I can take no act ion against you now. ” It will be recalled that Abu Jahl, the commander of the Meccan army killed during the battle of Badr, had been the Prophet’s bitterest enemy in Mecca. His son, Ikramah, was one of the Meccan commanders in the battle of Uhud who had spotted the inadequately guarded rear pass and had led the attack which ended in near disaster for the Muslims. When Mecca fell, Ikramah left the town and proceeded to the coast, intending to cross over to Ethiopia, being convinced that he could have no security in Mecca or anywhere near it. His wife approached the Prophet and asked whether Ikramah could re turn to Mecca while professing his idolatrous beliefs. The Prophet replied that faith was a matter of conscience and conscience was free. If Ikramah returned to Mecca he would not be molested, and could live there in security professing whatever